Mail-bag catcher



(No Model) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. l H. ALBERT.

i MAIL BAG GATGHER. No. 546,214. Patented Sept. 1051895.

ANDREW B GRAHAM FHUTD-UTTIO-WSHWGTDILD-C.

(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2. H. ALBERT.

MAIL BAG GATGHER. No. 546,214. Patented sept. 10,1895.

@za 133 HW-9235,

HARRY ALBERT, OF NEW ALBANY, INDIANA.

iVlAILfBAG CATGHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 5 t6,214, datedSeptember 10, 1895. Application iledpJuly 16,1895. Seri( l No. 5561153-(No modell) To all whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, HARRY ALBERT, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Albany, in the county of Floyd and State of Indiana,have invented a new and usetul Mail- Bag Catcher', of which thefollowing is a specilication.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inappliances for delivering mail-pouches at any required station along theline of railway, and at the same time taking up mail from such stationor stations it there be any to be delivered to the moving train, theseOperations being performed automatically and without requiring thestopping of the train or exposing the postal clerk to any unnecessarydanger.

The invention consists yof an improved crane to be attached either tothe side of the car or a post at the station, and which is adapted to bereadily adjusted tothe required elevation, and which can be heldpositively either in an operative position or out of the way, a doublehook attached to the crane and having inwardly-opening latches whichclose and prevent the accidental disengagement of themail-pouch-supporting frame after'the latter has been engaged therewith,and an improved frame having a bail at one end and having spring membersby means ot' which the said frame is retained in place upon the crane,said frame having wires for strengthening it and for supporting the1nail-pouch after the latter is placed in position.

The improvement also consists of the novel features and the peculiarconstruction and combination of the parts, which hereinafter will bemore fully set forth and claimed, and which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective viewshowingthe application of the invent-ion, the crane on the approaching carbeing set to deliver a mailpouch and the crane at the station beingpositioned to deliver a mail-pouch to they approachingvcar, each takingand receiving the mailfpouches, as will be explained more fullyhereinafter. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a crane, parts being brokenaway. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a spring for holding the crane :inoperative relation and showing its-attach-V ments. Fig. Llis a frontelevation of the double hook. Fig. 5 is a detail view of themailpouch-supporting frame.

Similarreference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in the severalviews.

The cranes to be located upon the car and the several stations along theline of railway areot likeconstruction. Henceadetaileddescription of theone will be suliicient. A post l is suitably supported at its ends andis formed with a shoulder or annular enlargement 2 near its lower end,which formsa support for the crane to turn upon in its swingingmovements around the post l. A tubular standard 3 is mounted upon thepost. l and is adapted to turn freely thereon, and arms 4, extending inparallel relation and spaced a proper distance apart, are adjustablymounted upon the standard 3, and these arms have vertical sleeves 5 attheir inner ends, 'through which passes the standard 3, and whichsleeves are held between pairs of col lars 6, which have positive andadjustable connection with the standard 3. The tubular standard 3 may bethreaded, in which event the collars 6 will be correspondingly threaded,so as to be adjusted upon the standard by being turned thereon in theproper direction, or the said standard may have a plain surface and thecollars 6 be held thereon by binding-screws 7. These binding-screws 7will engage with the threads of the eXteriorlythreaded standard andsecure the collars against turning thereon after the crane-arms havebeen adjusted to the required elevation. A brace 8 is interposed betweenthe arms 4 and connects and strengthens them, and at the same timecauses the arms to move in unison.

The double hook 9 is provided at its upper end with a cross-bar l0, anda similar crossbar ll is secured to the cross-bar l0 by means of screws12, and these cross-bars l() and ll are notched midway of their ends, soas to receive the upper arm,and upon which they are clamped by. thescrews l2, as will be readily understood. The ends of the crossbar 10are cleft, and latches 13 are vpivotally supported at their upper endsbetween the members of the said cleft ends, and thelower ends of theselatches engage with the bills of the hooks and are limited in theiroutward movement thereby. These latches 13 are LII free to swing inwardand normally bear against the inner faces of the hooked members of thedouble hook 9.

The mail-pouch-supporting frame is formed of a stout wire, which is bentinto an approximately U form, the closed end of which is deliectedoutwardly, so as to form a bail 14, which in the operation of the deviceis adapted to be engaged bya hook of the crane. A wire 15 of lightergage than the Wire of the main frame connects the ends of the hail 14and forms practically a continuation of the oppositely-extendingportions of the wire at the ends of the bail, and this wire strengthensthe bail and forms a point of attachment for the mail-pouch 16, which isattached thereto in any convenient manner, preferably by means of astrap 17, which connects the handles of the pouch after the latter isdoubled and the said handles are brought together. A second Wire 18 isbent into a U form and is arranged to extend in an opposite direction tothe bail 14, and the extremities of its bent ends are coiled around theparallel members 19 of the mail-pouchsupporting frame. This wire 1S isin the plane' of the frame to which it is attached, and the inail-pouch16 is supported upon the same at its fold when in position to bedelivered or received. The parallel members of the mailpouch-supportingframe are elastic and are adapted to be thrust into the arms 4, whichare tubular, and are held therein by frictioual engagement, the saidarms being deflected from the position which they1 normally occupy whenadjusted to the crane, so as to create suihcient friction to preventaccidental disengagement of the fratrie from the crane.

The arms 4, with their connecting-brace 8, forin the crane proper, andthis crane is held in a fixed relative position to the tubular standard3 by means of springs 20, which are formed from wire of proper gage, andwhich wire is bent into substantially a U form and has coils 21 near itsends for the reception of a bar 22, by means of which the said springshave connection with the pairs of collars 6. The end portions of theWire are extended beyond the coils 2l and are formed into eyes, whichreceive screws or fastenings 23, by means of which the springs havepositive attachment with the said collars 6. portions of the bar 22 arebent, and their eX- tremities are formed into eyes, which receive screwsor fastenings 24 for positive attachment thereof with the said collars.The

closed ends or" the springs are curved to conform to the arms 4, and thesaid springs are of railway. Openings 25 and 2G are provided in thetubular standard and are adapted to register with corresponding openingsin the The end j post 1, and these openings are right-angularly disposedand are designed to receive a pin 27, by means of which the post andstandard are firmly held in the required position. Thus if no mail is tobe received or delivered the crane is swung so as to lie about parallelwith its support, and the pin 27' is passed through the registeringopenings in the standard and post, so as to hold the cra-ne positivelyin the adjusted position. 0n the other hand, if mail is to be receivedor to be delivered the crane is turned to extend at right angles to itssupport, and is held in this position by placing the pin 27 in theregistering openings in the said post and standard.

Suppose it be required to deliver and at the same time receive mail. Themail-pouches containing the matter to be transferred are folded ordoubled upon themselves and attached to their supporting-framessubstantially in the manner herein set forth, and the parallel members19 of the mail-pouchsupporting frames are thrust into the tubular arms 4and the cranes adj usted so as to extend at right angles to theirrespective supports. It must be remembered that the crane at the stationis so set that when the parts are adjusted substantially as hereindisclosed the bails 14 of the respective cranes on the car and at thestation will engage with the respective hooks of the opposite cranes.Hence when the car approaches the station the bail of its crane willengage with the adjacent hook of the crane at the station and the bailof the crane at the station will en- IOO gage with the adjacent hook ofthe crane cai ried by the car, and when the car passes by the stationthe respective mail-pouch-carry ing frames willbe detached from theircranes and the mail-matter will be transferred, as will be readilyunderstood. The latches of the hooks engaging with themail-pouch-carrying frames will swing inwardly to receive the bailsthereof and will immediately close to prevent the accidentaldisengagement of the said bails therefrom. Therefore the interchangingof the mail-pouches will be assured.

The wires entering into the formation of the mail-pouch-supporting framewill be of any suitable gage consistent with lightness and stability,and when fitting the pouch to the wire 18' the handles should be broughtton gether, so as to receive the fastening-strap, by means of which thepouch is secured to the wire 15. In some instances the closing of thelatches 13 may be assisted by springs of convenient shape and location,and, as shown, these springs 28 are secured at one end to the cross-bar10, and their free ends bear against the latches 13 and serve to holdthem against the bills of the hooks.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the catchers on the car and atthe station are substantially alike. Hence the device can be usedindiscriminately either at a station or upon a postal-car, and the rangeof use is greatly increased.

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For special application it is to be understood that various changes inthe form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may beresorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any ofthe advantages ot thisinvention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isl l. In amail bag catcher, the combination of a post, a tubular standard mountedupon the post so as to turn thereon, and a crane having adjustableconnection with the tubular standard so as to have its elevation changedand movable with the standard when the latter turns upon the post,substantially as set forth.

2. ln a mail bag catcher, the combination of a post, a tubular standardmounted'upon the post so as to turn thereon, the post and standardhaving registering openings which are disposed relatively at an angle toone another, acrane carried by the tubular standard, and a pin adaptedto be thrust through the registering openings in the post and standardto hold the latter and the crane carried thereby in the requiredposition, substantially as set forth.

8. In a mail bag catcher, the combination ot a standard, a crane mountedupon the standard so as to turn thereon, pairs of collars placed uponthe standard and lying adjacent to the parts of the crane mountedthereon, and oppositely-disposed springs attached to the pairs otcollars and engaging with the crane so as to hold the latter in therequired position, substantially as set forth for the purpose described.

a. In a mail bag catcher, the combination of a standard, a crane looselymounted upon the standard so as to turn thereon, pairs of collarsadjustably mounted upon the standard andlying adjacent to the parts ofthe crane mounted thereon, binding screws for securing the collars inthe adjusted position, opposite1ydisposed springs attached to thecollars and engaging with the crane so as to hold the latter in Workingposition, and means for holding thc crane out of the way when' notrequired for use, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the crane of a mail bag catcher, of a doublehook having a cross bar, and latches having pivotal connection with thecross bar and adapted to have their free ends engage with the ends ofthe hooks, substantially as set forth for the purpose described.

6. In a mail bag catcher, the combination with the crane, of a mailpouch supporting frame having parallel members which are adapted totelescope with and be supported by the crane, substantially as set'forth for the purpose described.

7. ln a mail bagfcatcher, the combination with the crane, ot a mailpouch supporting frame of substantially U form and having its closed enddedected. outwardly to form a bail, and having its parallel membersconstructed to telescope with and be supported by the said crane,substantially as specified.

S. In a mail bag catcher, the combination With the crane, of a mailpouch supporting frame of substantially U shape having its closed endoutwardly deliected to form a bail, and having its parallel memberselastic and adapted to telescope and be supported by the said crane, aWire connecting the ends ot the bail portion, and a second wire ofsubstantially U form having the extremities of its bent end portionsattached to the parallel members of the main frame, substantially asdescribed for the purpose set forth.

9. A mail bag catcher comprising a post, astandard mounted upon the postso as to turn thereon, means for securing the standard in any requiredpositionupon the post, a crane comprising tubular arms and a connectingbrace and having sleeves at the innerrends of the arms so as to beloosely7 mounted upon the tubular standard, pairs of cellars placed uponthe standard and located at the ends of the sleeves, adouble hooksupported upon the upper arm and having pivoted latches, and a mailpouch supporting frame of substantially U form having its closed endoutwardly deflected to form a bail and having its parallel membersconstructed to telescope With the aforesaid tubular arms, a Wireconnecting the end portions of the bail, and a second Wire having itsend portions bent and secured to thev parallel members of the saidframe, substantially as set forth for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto atlixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY ALBERT.

Witnesses;

F. W. Pnrnns, CLARENCE Pnfrnus.

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